From beans to chocolate bars

By Lindsay Peyton

Published 12:18 pm, Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Photo: Lindsay Peyton

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Scott Moore Jr. makes chocolate bars from cacao beans, which he roasts and grinds himself. The outer part of the cacao bean must be separated from the inner nibs. The nibs are cleaned and refined through a blending process that takes 40 hours. less

Scott Moore Jr. makes chocolate bars from cacao beans, which he roasts and grinds himself. The outer part of the cacao bean must be separated from the inner nibs. The nibs are cleaned and refined through a ... more

Photo: Lindsay Peyton

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Moore fills trays with fresh chocolate at Tejas Chocolate in Spring.

Moore fills trays with fresh chocolate at Tejas Chocolate in Spring.

Photo: Lindsay Peyton

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Scott Moore Jr. and Michelle Holland, the owners of Tejas Chocolate in Spring, make their own bars from cacao beans, which they roast and grind themselves.

Scott Moore Jr. and Michelle Holland, the owners of Tejas Chocolate in Spring, make their own bars from cacao beans, which they roast and grind themselves.

Photo: Lindsay Peyton

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Scott Moore Jr. and Michelle Holland, the owners of Tejas Chocolate in Spring, make their own bars from cacao beans, which they roast and grind themselves.

Scott Moore Jr. and Michelle Holland, the owners of Tejas Chocolate in Spring, make their own bars from cacao beans, which they roast and grind themselves.

Photo: Lindsay Peyton

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Each bar of Tejas Chocolate is wrapped with a label bearing art by a Texas artist. The art and the title for the bars come from Texas towns like Concepcion and Presidio - that either inspired the flavor by an ingredient or an attitude. less

Each bar of Tejas Chocolate is wrapped with a label bearing art by a Texas artist. The art and the title for the bars come from Texas towns like Concepcion and Presidio - that either inspired the flavor by an ... more

Photo: Lindsay Peyton

From beans to chocolate bars

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While Valentine's Day shoppers are on the prowl for the perfect gift for that special someone, area chocolate shops are stepping up to the plate, preparing their finest treats for the occasion.

Scott Moore Jr. and Michelle Holland, the owners of Tejas Chocolate in Spring, make their own bars from cacao beans, which they roast and grind themselves.

The couple suggests giving a specialty chocolate bar instead of the usual heart-shaped box this year.

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Moore is also perfecting his recipes. He currently uses premium cacao beans from six locations around the world, mainly free-trade and organic certified sources. Eventually, he will narrow his selection.

"We're still doing a lot of experimenting and tasting," Moore said. "The flavor of the chocolate is dependent on its origin and how the farmer handles the product before I get it."

The cacao beans are the only ingredient Moore and Holland import. Everything else is locally grown and produced in Texas.

Once the cacao shipment arrives at the warehouse, the couple sorts and cleans the beans.

"It has to be hand sorted - basically, a bean at a time," Moore said.

Then, the beans are fire-roasted using an oven Moore designed himself and his own unique technique.

"Roasting is the most important thing we can do to bring out the flavor of the bean," Moore said.

The beans can be heated for 18 minutes to an hour, depending on the desired results.

Then the outer part of the bean must be separated from the inner nibs. The nibs are cleaned and refined through a blending process that takes 40 hours.

The chocolate is flavored with sugar and sometimes vanilla beans or cocoa butter. The chocolate is tempered until it reaches its ideal form and then spread out onto a sheet of smooth marble and blended to the right consistency.

Moore squeezes the thickened chocolate into molds, which are cooled until hardened.

"For the most part, it's still a primitive way to do bean to bar," Moore said.

Holland said the old process of making chocolate is what drew her to the business.

"Frankly I found it fascinating," she said. "Making the chocolate is a connection with the ancient methods and the handmade techniques."

Each bar is wrapped with a label bearing art by a Texas artist.

The art and the title for the bars come from Texas towns - like Concepcion and Presidio - that either inspired the flavor by an ingredient or an attitude.

More Information

Valentine's Day

Flowers, chocolate, and jewelry became popular for Valentine's Day gifts during the second half of the 20th century. Following are some Valentine's Day facts:

The first box: of Valentine's Day chocolates was created by famed British chocolatier, Richard Cadbury, in 1868.

Cards: On Valentine's Day it is estimated by the U. S. Greeting Card Association that there are over 190 million cards exchanged, making Feb. 14 the most card giving holiday, second only to Christmas.

Flowers: Valentine's Day is third most important day for flowers, following Christmas and Mother's Day. It is also estimated that 73 percent of the floral buyers are men.

Sales: Chocolate sales for the Valentine's Day total more than $1 billion dollars every year.

Worldwide: it is estimated that over $14 billion is spent each year in honor of the holiday of Valentine's Day.

For Moore, a sixth generation Texan, the state inspired the name of his business. He explained that Tejas means "friends or allies," derived from "taysha" used by the Caddo Native Americans.

The couple believes sharing high quality chocolate can help build solid friendships.

They said eating well also involves being closer to the source of the food and establishing relationships with farmers and food producers. They are confident that the current trend of organic and locally-produced foods will end up being long-lasting.

"People definitely want to feel more connected to where their food comes from and how it's made," Moore said.

Holland agreed. "It's a good fad, and it's not going away," she said. "We're foodies. We prefer cooking to going out."

Moore said every neighborhood should have its own chocolate maker. He said the small-scale, handcrafted batches will always be the best. "Chocolate is to be savored and enjoyed," he said.

For now, Tejas Chocolates are available at the online store on its Facebook page. The chocolates also are available at the Kitchen Incubator's Café Luz in downtown Houston.

The couple hopes to expand to more retail shops and has no plans to stop doing what they love. "We're here for a while," Holland said.